Message from the General Manager: May 2024
Westbay and District staff finishing the installation of the multiport equipment in Zilker Park on Friday, May 24. As I write, the District is completing the installation of our newest multiport well in Zilker Park. With a grant from the City of Austin’s Barton Springs Salamander Conservation Fund, the new multiport well marks the 8th […]
Drought Update – April 2024
Rainfall April is known for its “April showers”, and rainfall last month didn’t disappoint. The Austin region experienced 3.0 inches, which surpasses April’s historical average by more than a half-inch (figure 1). April is the second month of 2024 to exceed its monthly average. From January to April, we accumulated an average of 13.2 inches of […]
Barton Springs Multiport Monitor Well
Jeff Watson, Staff Hydrogeologist, collecting freshly cut core samples during the Barton Springs Multiport Well drilling process in February 2024. The District has successfully drilled two new monitor wells this year—one in Garrison Park and another in Zilker Park just south of Barton Springs Pool. While construction at the Garrison monitor well is now complete, […]
Drought Update: March 2024
Rainfall During March, the Austin area typically experiences a monthly average rainfall of approximately 2.9 inches. To date, we have received 2.1 inches. Despite receiving steady rainfall in both February and March, rainfall amounts for both months were about a half-inch short of their respective monthly averages. Figure 1. Monthly deviation from average and monthly total […]
Drought Update: February 2024
Transition to Stage II Alarm Drought Ongoing Impact of Early 2024 Rainfall In January the District received an average of 6 inches of rain. This rain increased flow in the Blanco River and creeks throughout the area. District monitor wells and spring flow gauges recorded increases in water levels for both the Edwards and Trinity […]
Drought Update: January 2024
In mid-January, an arctic blast swept across most of the United States. The Texas Hill Country felt the brunt of this cold front from Sunday, January 14, through Wednesday, January 17, with temperatures lingering near or below freezing for over 72 hours. Although the period was predominately dry, some precipitation did fall and is suspected to […]
Message from the General Manager: January 2024
District permittees, constituents with private wells, and staff have something in common: The 19-month (and counting) drought has been stressful. Last week’s rains were more than welcome and have had a positive impact on our two drought sentinels. Barton Springs is flowing at about 70 cfs, which is above the 45-year median average for late […]
Preparing for Winter Weather
While winters are generally mild in the Texas Hill Country, the last few years have taught us that extremes are always possible and it pays to be prepared. Winter Storm Uri in 2021 created more than $195 billion in damage, making it the costliest natural disaster in Texas history. Part of this damage was the […]
Drought Update: December 2023
2023 has come and gone, yet we continue to feel the lasting impact of its extreme heat and low rainfall. It was the hottest year on record with Camp Mabry recording an average temperature of 72.2 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a tenth of a degree hotter than 2017- the previous record holder. The Austin area’s average annual […]
District Declares Stage IV Drought
Justin Camp, District Hydrogeologist Technician, manually measuring groundwater levels at the Lovelady monitoring well in August 2023. Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (the District) officially declared Stage IV Exceptional Drought on December 14, 2023 for the first time in their 36-year history. Stage IV declaration restrictions will take effect on January 1, 2024. This transition […]
